Beyond the Skyline

Lindus Construction traces its history back to the late 1970s, when company founders Kevin and Emily Lindus made the transition from raising farm animals to improving homes.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Andy Lindus owns and operates the second generation family business, along with brothers Adam and Alex. The Baldwin, Wisconsin-based company, which serves the Twin Cities area, offers services ranging from roofing remodeling to windows and decks.

Since its early days, Lindus Construction has grown from two employees to more than 150. And as the host of a home improvement radio show and podcast, Andy Lindus has established himself as a prominent voice of the industry.

In the following interview, Lindus speaks with reporter Brian Johnson about the state of residential construction and the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain, among other topics.

Duane Carter has been with the Northwest Area Foundation since 2016, and in his second year as chair of the nonprofit’s investment committee he manages the investing capital for the foundation’s endowment.

The Northwest Area Foundation, based in St. Paul, supports efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. Its region includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and 76 Native American nations. The nonprofit primarily directs resources and support to Native Americans, communities of color, immigrants and refugees, and rural communities.

Before joining the foundation, Carter worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, most recently serving as a senior vice president before retiring.

Carter earned a doctor of education degree in organizational development as well as a master of business administration from the University of St. Thomas. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business from the University of Minnesota.

In this interview with reporter Kelly Busche, Carter speaks about his role and his plans to continue supporting the foundation’s priority communities, and about how the foundation, in the midst of the pandemic and racial reckoning, is also allocating more funding to help communities in need.

The Greater Minnesota Partnership has selected Scott McMahon to serve as the nonprofit’s new executive director.

McMahon is a former lobbyist with government relations firm Flaherty & Hood P.A., and has been with the GMNP since 2017.

He will lead the organization in its goal of advocating for economic development policies and resources that benefit greater Minnesota. More than 60 businesses, chambers of commerce, economic development authorities, higher education institutions, cities and nonprofits make up the membership organization..

McMahon has a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Prior to his work with Flaherty & Hood, McMahon spent more than a decade working in higher education, first as director of government relations at the Minnesota Private College Council and then as associate vice president for external affairs at Saint Mary’s University.

In this interview with reporter Kelly Busche, McMahon talks about stepping into his new role during a challenging time, when greater Minnesota faces the ongoing pandemic, child care shortages, broadband issues and more.

Minnesota’s single-family homebuilding market turned conventional wisdom about the state of the economy on its head in 2020.

While it may be a stretch to say that homebuilders are sorry to see 2020 go, residential contractors had a surprisingly strong year. Todd Polifka, owner of Custom One Homes in Woodbury and the newly installed 2021 president of Housing First Minnesota, a homebuilder association with more than 1,000 members, is optimistic that growth will continue in 2021.

But he’s also quick to note that the industry faces daunting challenges in the year ahead. Headwinds range from the ongoing struggle to meet demand for more affordable new homes to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions.

Polifka, who has more than 20 years of construction experience, has served on Housing First Minnesota’s board for nearly 10 years. Prior to owning Custom One Homes, Polifka was a principal in Brush Masters Painting and Drywall. He gives back to the community through the Custom One Charities initiative.

In the following interview, Polifka talks about his personal homebuilding journey, what drove homebuilding activity in 2020, opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, and more.

The new leader of Rochester’s Destination Medical Center is optimistic about the new year — and the organization’s ability to position the city as an attractive place for remote workers.

Patrick Seeb stepped into the DMC’s executive director role at the start of 2021. He’s taking over for Lisa Clarke, who retired after spending six years leading the organization.

The DMC is a 20-year project to convert Rochester into a global hub for health and wellness. This, the DMC hopes, will draw development, investors, startups and entrepreneurs to the southern Minnesota city. It’s also the largest private-public economic initiative in the state’s history, according to the DMC.

Seeb most recently served as the organization’s director of economic development and placemaking. Before that, he was executive director of the Saint Paul Riverfront Corp., responsible for the multibillion-dollar transformation of downtown St. Paul.

Like any other city, Rochester has struggled with job losses and fewer visitors due to the ongoing pandemic. Still, Seeb said that the city is doing better than most thanks to the Mayo Clinic. Seeb speaks with reporter Kelly Busche about how leaders are assessing the community’s changing needs as they position Rochester as an essential city for workers and travelers in a post-pandemic world.

In December, Sherman Associates announced that Chris Sherman would take over as president of the company founded by his father.

Chris Sherman first joined Sherman Associates when he was a teenager and later joined as a full-time employee after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State Smeal College of Business. Most recently, Sherman held the role of senior vice president of operations and capital markets.

Sherman Associates has more than $4 billion in commercial, residential, hospitality and for-sale assets. More than 8,000 housing units, four hotels and nearly 1 million square feet of commercial real estate make up its portfolio, according to its website.

Sherman will guide the Minneapolis-based company’s leadership team as well as the direction and performance of their assets. In his interview with reporter Kelly Busche, Sherman talks about how in his first year as president, he plans to lead the company through expansions into new markets with nearly $400 million in development in the works — making 2021 “the “biggest year” yet in terms of development for the company.

During his 35 years as a Twin Cities-based real estate attorney, Jim Walston has served a wide range of clients on everything from commercial real estate purchases to public transportation projects.

Walston, a partner with the Ballard Spahr law firm in Minneapolis, has stayed busy of late representing his clients’ interests as states and cities renew restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In the following interview, Walston speaks with reporter Brian Johnson about how commercial landlords and tenants are dealing with challenges related to the pandemic, civil unrest and more.

From project manager to director of supply chain operations, Chad Rempe has worn a number of hats for Kraus-Anderson during his 20-plus years with the Minneapolis-based construction company.

Rempe recently took on an additional role: manager of Kraus-Anderson’s preconstruction design services, a newly created position.

In his new role, Rempe works closely with the preconstruction department’s technical teams and helps establish the “front-end vision, budget and goals” for clients, according to the company.

Rempe joined Kraus-Anderson in 1999 as an assistant project manager. As a project manager, he went on to oversee notable projects such as the Black Bear Casino Resort & Hotel, One Southdale Place, and various jobs for the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

A LEED accredited professional, Rempe also served as project manager for the Kraus-Anderson Block development in downtown Minneapolis, which includes the company’s 100,000-square-foot headquarters, a hotel, an apartment complex and a microbrewery.

In the following interview, Rempe talks about the importance of preconstruction services in the COVID-19 era and reflects on his career in construction.

Business uncertainty. Unprecedented events, from pandemic and business lockdowns to social unrest. 2020 has been a year like no other. In part two of our podcast from the Beyond the Skyline online festival, reporter Brian Johnson speaks with an expert panel on the tumultuous legislative session and ramifications of the bonding bill.

Our Panelists:

Rachel Robinson, Deputy commissioner, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency

Jessica Looman, Executive director, MN State Building & Construction Trades Council

Laura Ziegler, Director of government affairs, AGC of Minnesota

Mary-Margaret Zindren, Executive Vice President, AIA Minnesota

The panel’s wide-ranging conversation took place, via Zoom, on December 15.

On December 15, we gathered online, for our first Beyond the Skyline Festival, a live event where listeners could connect with business leaders, commercial real estate professionals and other experts to discuss the tumultuous legislative session and ramifications of the bonding bill, and take a look at what lay ahead in the Twin Cities commercial real estate market in the midst of pandemic and economic slowdown.

In this episode, part one of two, listen to our discussion about commercial real estate in 2020, and a look ahead at some of the trends that will carry into 2021.

Our Panelists:

Lisa Christianson, Christianson & Co

Brent Erickson, Newmark Knight Frank

Joe Spartz, President, St. Paul Building Owners & Managers Association